Vol. 396 No. 2
22 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will agree that where a request is made for separate payments under the unemployment assistance scheme, the spouse/partner carrying the responsibility for the children be awarded the larger portion of the payment.
30 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare his views on whether the present provisions for making separate payments under the social welfare code to spouses who have separated and are living apart are fair; and whether he will consider paying the full adult allowance to the dependent spouse instead of the present situation where the dependent spouse is forced to seek out supplementary payments from the relevant health board.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 30 together.
Under current legislation a person can be appointed on behalf of a claimant to receive and deal with amounts of benefit payable in respect of adult and child dependants. Regulations made under this provision allow the increases in respect of dependants to be paid directly to the dependant spouse of the claimant where, because of personal problems such as gambling, alcoholism or drug addiction, the claimant does not provide the spouse with sufficient money for ordinary household expenditure. These payments are referred to as separate payments.
I am at present preparing regulations to enable a greater proportion of the overall payment in such cases to be made directly to the dependant spouse. The new arrangements will be brought into operation as soon as possible.
23 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Social Welfare the administrative arrangements which have been made by officials from his Department to transfer the disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme from the regional health boards to his Department; if any preliminary discussions have taken place in this regard; the context of these discussions; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
26 Mrs. Taylor-Quinn asked the Minister for Social Welfare if it is Government poicy to transfer community welfare officers from the health boards to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter, given the significance of such a transfer within the welfare system.
39 Mr. Wyse asked the Minister for Social Welfare the discussions he or his officials have had with the officials from the Department of Health or the regional health boards in relation to the proposed transfer of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is currently administered by the regional health boards; if it is proposed to be taken over by the Department of Social Welfare; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 23, 26 and 39 together.
As I indicated in the Dáil recently, it is my view that the best approach in the long term is for my Department to directly administer the supplementary welfare allowance and the disabled persons maintenance allowance schemes. My objective is to ensure that all income maintenance services will be delivered in a co-ordinated and cost effective manner and that clients should as far as practicable have one point of contact when claiming their entitlements.
Changes along these lines will have major implications for my Department, the health boards and the staff working in them. What I would envisage at this stage is a phased approach with responsibility for disabled persons maintenance allowance being transferred to my Department as soon as the necessary administrative arrangements can be made. I am also examining the question of the transfer of the administration of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. These matters will be discussed fully with the Department of Health and the health boards before the detailed arrangements are finalised.
24 Mr. Kavanagh asked the Minister for Social Welfare the weekly amount in the case of married persons by which transitional payments connected with the equality directives will be reduced this year; the typical amount paid after that reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
As announced by the Minister for Finance in his Budget Statement, the special equal treatment payments, introduced originally in 1986, will be revised in the context of the general increases in social welfare rates from next July. These revisions will be on similar lines to last year and will be made in such a way as to ensure that recipients do not suffer a reduction in their overall benefit level.
In fact, a person at present entitled to, for example, unemployment assistance whose spouse is working and earning more than £50 per week, and who was entitled to the transitional payment, would still from July next receive an extra £14 per week above other claimants.
25 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will provide a free-fone service to his Department's offices in Sligo since those who telephone for information are least able to afford long delays and expensive calls.
Members of the public who wish to contact the pensions services office of my Department in Sligo can either contact the office directly or may ring a Dublin number to be transferred free of charge to Sligo.
Alternatively, members of the public can contact a local information office of my Department where much of the information concerning social welfare claims and payments is available on computer.
